| Physical or Chemical Property | Features | Commercial Benefits |
| Low liquid surface tension | Wets many substrates; capable of forming monomolecular thin
films | Easily coats surfaces; requires little physical effort to
apply; effective at low use levels |
| Low surface tension combined with incompatibility with
organics | Easily forms films on organic materials | Lubricates very sticky materials |
| Critical surface tension of wetting that is higher than its
liquid surface tension | Spreading and creep behavior; will spread over its own adsorbed
film; self-leveling | Easy to achieve complete surface coverage; capable of
"replenishing" itself when physically disturbed |
| A high-energy (polar) backbone that is capable of presenting
its low-surface energy (non-polar) methyl groups at interfaces | Affinity for a wide range of substrates | Many potential surface and interface applications |
| Low surface tension combined with the presence of non-polar
methyl groups | Not water soluble; creates water-repellent/hydrophobic
films | Beads water on substrates; replaces water |
| Low-temperature pour points | Pourable at temperatures well below -18°C (0°F) | Does not pose freeze-thaw cycle problems; continues to perform
at very low temperatures for a very long time without loss of function |
| Low viscosity-temperature coefficient | Viscosity changes very little with temperature | All-temperature performance |
| High bond strength of the siloxane backbone combined with
"inert" functional groups (CH3) | Very stable; resists degradation | Lasts longer, performs better than many other materials under
challenging environmental, processing, and operating conditions |
| High-temperature flash points | Does not easily ignite | Less hazardous to use and store than many organic
materials |
| High refractive index (RI) | Allows light to pass through the fluid film and bounce back
without change in direction | Thin films produce high gloss and depth of gloss |
| Not oxidized by free radicals | Does not become rancid | Does not produce rancid odors |
| Does not support bacterial growth | Bacteria will not "eat" PDMS | Preservatives are generally not required |
| Essentially biologically inert | Non-irritating | Appropriate for use in personal care applications |